The Boston Bruins still haven't signed restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman with training camp a little more than a month away.
Assuming something gets done eventually, it's fair to say the Bruins could have one of the top-five goalies in the NHL next season.
The Bruins don't have the same depth in net they've enjoyed in recent years. They traded 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark before the draft back in June and received veteran Joonas Korpisalo as part of the return. Korpisalo is coming off an awful 2023-24 season statistically. That said, if anyone can help Korpisalo rediscover the impressive form he showed earlier in his career, it's Bruins goalie coach Bob Essensa.
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The Ullmark trade cleared the way for Swayman to be the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Boston. It's his time to shine, and expectations are high.
So is the hype around his future. We got a glimpse of that last week when NHL Network revealed its annual summer ranking of the league's best goalies. Swayman came in at No. 4.
Here's a look at the entire top 10:
10. Linus Ullmark, Senators
9. Juuse Saros, Predators
8. Jake Oettinger, Stars
7. Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers
6. Thatcher Demko, Canucks
5. Ilya Sorokin, Islanders
4. Jeremy Swayman, Bruins
3. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
2. Connor Hellebuyck, Jets
1. Igor Shesterkin, Rangers
Swayman posted a 25-10-8 record with a .916 save percentage, a 2.53 GAA and three shutouts in 43 starts for the Bruins during the 2023-24 regular season. He was even better in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In fact, he was the top goalie in the entire postseason through two rounds with a .933 save percentage and a 2.15 GAA.
The 25-year-old goalie's stellar performances go beyond last year, though. Here's a look at where Swayman ranks in key stats among all goalies who have played 3,000-plus minutes over the past three seasons.
The pressure will be high on Swayman next season. The Bruins don't have the luxury of having two Vezina-caliber netminders anymore. Swayman will need to play at an elite level for the Bruins to compete for the Atlantic Division title and make a deep run in the playoffs. He'll probably need to start 50-plus games, too, something he has never done before (43 is his high for a regular season).
But given his durability, high-end skill and composure in net, there are plenty of reasons to believe Swayman will continue to get better and potentially climb into the top three on next offseason's NHL Network goalie ranking.